Ravelo is facing a must-win fight

To say super middleweight Jerson Ravelo needs a healthy victory Wednesday night to jump-start his career would be an understatement.

Ravelo (18-3-0, 12 KOs) will be fighting for his professional life when he takes on Dhafir Smith (20-18-6, 4 KOs) at the Robert Treat Hotel in Newark. He must win and has to feel good doing it.

"It is a fight I have to win," Ravelo told The Star-Ledger. "There is no turning back. It is do-or-die for me."

Several years ago, Ravelo was among boxing's hottest fighters. His name was regularly mentioned alongside Jermain Taylor and Jeff Lacy as future stars.

Early in his career there was no reason to question the high expectations. Ravelo set up opponents with long, stinging jabs before overwhelming them with hard, accurate right hands.

He would win his first 13 professional bouts, nine by early stoppage. Those fighters who went the distance with him paid a heavy price.

Ravelo got stronger with each passing round. And he possessed a killer instinct that helped him punish opponents for three full minutes.

By most accounts, it was only a matter of time before he would claim a major world title. All that heavy hitting, however, would take a toll on Ravelo's right hand.

The pain was so severe at one point that Ravelo contemplated retiring. But he would relent and accept a fight against unheralded David Lopez in April 2004.

Ravelo was a big favorite and dominated the fight early. But midway through the bout he suffered a fracture in his right hand.

He began throwing fewer punches and was unable to properly defend himself. Ravelo would soon find himself on the bad end of a ninth-round TKO.

He would rebound, but the hand injuries persisted. Ravelo would have surgery, which sidelined him for two years. Making matters worse, he began experiencing back pain.

After the pain subsided, Ravelo returned to action and won three in a row -- including first-round knockouts of Raynard Darden and Donnell Wiggins. But something was missing: Ravelo seemed protective of his once-powerful right hand.

Those stoppages of Darden and Wiggins, two fighters with soft whiskers, did little to boost Ravelo's confidence. Besides, beating up on low-caliber fighters won't lead to a world title.

Ravelo's goal always has been to become the best at 168 pounds. And a win over highly touted Allan Green would get Ravelo back into the spotlight.

But Ravelo came up short, losing by a TKO in eight. Shortly thereafter, it was revealed that his right hand was again in need of medical care.

If that wasn't enough, managerial and promotional disputes followed. Ravelo soon found himself without any representation. He was a free-agent, an absolute no-no for a fighter with title aspirations.

"I don't have anybody -- no promoter, no manager," Ravelo said. "I'm on my own. With the injuries, everybody seems to be afraid.

"It has nothing to do with my skills; I can still fight. I can beat anybody. They just think I am hurt too much."

He'd win his next bout, but the feel-good moment was brief. Another highly touted super middleweight, Andre Ward, also would stop Ravelo in eight rounds.

The loss to Ward took place in June. Ravelo's phone remained silent until a few weeks ago when rookie promoter Harvey Dock offered to make him the star attraction on HD Promotion's debut show.

This is surely Ravelo's final chance to impress. He is scheduled to take on a fighter in Hill, who has no chin and very little technical skills.

Hill is the type of fighter who should make Ravelo look good. But looking good inside the ring is one thing, how his right hand feels afterward will determine if Ravelo hangs up the gloves permanently.

The Robert Treat Hotel is located at 50 Park Place in Newark. Tickets for Ravelo-Hill are $75 and $35. They can be purchased by calling (201) 988-0008.